"Heroic Airacobras of the Cactus Air Force" ...

[Mark Allen M]

Interesting reading in the link below.

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/artic ... air-force/





P-400 “Hells Bells”, 347th FS/67th FG, Guadalcanal 1942. The planes were still in British colors of medium green and brown over a light blue-gray.

Bell’s P-39 was developed as a high performance interceptor whose performance was hamstrung by the deletion of its turbocharger. The lack of a turbocharger meant that the P-39 was limited to low level ops. The P-39 was best employed as a fighter/bomber and in support of ground troops.

The P-400 was originally built for the British with the nose mounted 37mm Oldsmobile cannon replaced by a 20mm Oerlikon cannon. Due to the United States’ entrance into WWII, the P-400s were redirected to the USAAC in the Pacific. There they saw much use in the island campaigns that typified the Pacific theater.

[Mark Sampson]

In the book "Flying American Combat Aircraft of WWII", one of the two chapters devoted to the P-39 is the memoir of one of those Cactus Air Force pilots. He is quite candid about the aircraft's strengths and weaknesses... a fascinating story.
Once again, I can't recommend that book highly enough for anyone on this forum.

[Saville]

What a shame they didn't build them with the turbo. Might have been an outstanding plane.

[gemmer]

Note the remaining red center on the fuselage insignia in August of 1942, months after ordered to be removed in May.